Working Life
It takes me three days to recover from the reconstructive surgery that diminishes the scars I received from orbital re-entry. A new right hand is assigned to me to replace the mechanical junk that I made myself, one almost indistinguishable to the real thing but stronger and faster. Cybernetics has advanced by leaps and bounds since I was last here, in Higashi.
“Minister Azo says he doesn't want you to stand out too much,” says the doctor, “That means taking down that eye-patch too. If there is anything wrong with your eyes we need to cure it.”
I shake my head. “My right eye is extremely photosensitive. It hurts me if I don't keep it covered up.”
“We have a fix for that. A replacement eye is a common purchase for most augments nowadays, and we can just charge it to the minister's tab. How about it?”
***
A. I get the cybernetic eye. Having an uncontrollable power in my right eye is a burden – if it happens that I still see the lines even after replacing it, I can shut off the eye without having to cover it manually. Besides, I'm sure I can tweak it to fire lasers somehow!
B. I request an opaque contact lens. If I can't see through that eye it makes no difference whether I'm covering it with a patch or with a lens. Azo has a point about not standing out.
C. Screw this, I'm keeping the eyepatch, no matter what anyone says. It adds character.
***
During the surgery, the doctor informed me nonchalantly that Azo had ordered that a tracking chip should be implanted into my spine. I knew there would be a price for coming here; it was nothing I hadn't expected. I agreed, but I also requested integration of a power emitter that would harness the excess bio-electrical energy the chip amplifies and uses to run other external gadgets. Nothing new in the augment world, really, but the gadget I am using it for is special.
A small, palm-sized disc packed with artifical neuro-circuitry, placed on my chest. This is the core of Yua 2.0.
Salvaging the circuitry from Yua's orb, I had refashioned whatever I could on my way to Higashi, using the latest techniques in AI research pioneered by the cybernetic thinktanks. In order to shrink power usage and maximize efficiency, with the limited resources at hand, I had to abandon the personality simulation matrix entirely, resorting to the use of self-emergent programming to determine her behavioural patterns based on her memories. The result was unexpected.
Yua Two appeared to consider herself an entirely separate existence from the old Yua, even though the base I had constructed her from and the data I had used were identical. Theoretically, the reconstruction should have led the new Yua to behave like the old one as I input all the behavioural data of Yua 1.0 with no modifications. However, she treated the memories as just data to be compartmentalized and analyzed, building a new personality of her own according to her independent analysis of how best to serve me.
Apparently, her conclusion is that I need someone to rein me in.
“My predecessor indulged your every whim, leading to the predicament you currently find yourself in.” says Yua Two coldly. “I won't be as lenient. You can expect my input on your reckless decision making skills.”
“So, the meals...”
“I'm monitoring your diet too.”
I sigh. She doesn't even call me Master anymore.
***
As I make the trip to my new house, I wonder how my family is doing; I had been forbidden from coming into contact with them, no matter what. That was the only thing Azo had stressed I must not do. It is probably for the best. I would only put them into danger if I did, but the stress and stigma of having a child who is now one of the most wanted men in the world must be unimaginable. The only thing I can do for them now is to clear my name.
Azo had given me an apartment in downtown Kyoto, just three subway stations away from my place of work. It is relatively close, all things considered. The apartment itself is sparse and small, consisting only of a separate bathroom. The living space is where I will have to cook, eat and sleep. There is a bed, a wardrobe, a television monitor, a table and an automated kitchen, but little else. I have Yua connect herself to the main controls of the apartment, using the key I had been given.
“Is everything okay?”
“Everything is working perfectly. Would you like some supper?” asks Yua. She is still devoted, in a sense. She's just a bit more stand-offish about it.
“Well, what can you make?”
“Salad.”
“Anything else?”
“You're having salad for supper.”
I groan. It's unseemly having to argue with your own AI.
“Let's go with salad, then.”
“A wise choice.” She sounds pleased.
***
“Kagami... Kurou. Is that your name, newbie?” asks the middle-aged man in a suit. His name-tag indicates his name and rank: Sadomura Goro, Head of Department. I suppose he's my boss. He's wearing squarish glasses, a rare sight in this day and age.
“Yes, sir.” I respond. I've cleaned up nicely before coming to work; the wardrobe had been stocked full of suits tailored to my size. The offices themselves had been located in one of the taller skyscrapers in Kyoto, taking up an entire floor of its own. Strangely, the layout seems to be smaller than it would indicate from the outside. I wonder if there's a walled off area somewhere.
“You seem a bit young to be working, even if that old bastard Azo did give a pretty impressive recommendation. I hear you served in the war?”
“Yes, sir, I was drafted aboard the Kaguya-hime as one of its crew. I lost my parents in the attack.” A mix of lies and truth are the easiest to tell. With Azo's help, I had fabricated a new history of my own. It was easy, as Neo-Heliopolis had hosted a joint research effort between the former Empire and the Higashi. The Kaguya-hime's flight back to Earth was by now legendary. They are even making a movie out of it, with Naim playing himself as the starring role.
“I see. That is impressive. I will expect good results out of you. Well, welcome to the Department of Miscellanous Affairs, young Kurou. Do you know what we do here?” asks Mr. Sadomura.
I shake my head. “Minister Azo thought I would do well here, but he did not clarify anything else.”
“I suppose rather than hearing it from an old coot like me, I'll let one of our newer staff brief you. She's new but good at her job – she only came in just about a month back from one of our space colonies.” Mr. Sadomura turns to one of the desks behind him and calls out.
“Hey, Erika. I have a newbie here, called Kagami Kurou. Do you mind showing him around?”
Erika appears soon after, her long silver hair tied into a ponytail and a mug of cocoa in her hand. “I don't, sir. Please leave it to me.”
“There you have it,” grins the head, who appears to have mistaken my gawping for something else. “Don't stare too much at the flower of our department. I'll let the two of you young ones get along.”
Erika beckons at me to follow her, and I do so. We enter a deserted corridor. I suppose she knows I have questions to ask her.
“Mercenary life ended up being too boring for you?” I ask, wryly.
“My brother has become calm enough to take control of the clan again.” replies Erika. “Uncle said I could do whatever I want, so I came here.” I wonder why she did.
“How's your brother, by the way?”
“The wound you gave him appears to be untreatable, so they had to remodel him. We try not to mention you around him... he gets a bit unstable then. Since he's in space, you should be fine down here.” She remains as cool as always, even talking about things that she should probably be at least a tad emotional about.
“I'm not sure whether that's good or bad, but thank you for the heads up.”
“You're welcome. Perhaps, in repayment... sandwiches?” says Erika, slightly eagerly. I shift slightly and tap my earpiece. “Yua, how much do you know about -”
“My predecessor spoiled you too much. I am not making any sandwiches for you.” comes a curt reply.
“I'm sorry, Erika. Maybe another time.”
She seems a bit crestfallen.
“Anyway,” I point out, “You're supposed to be briefing me about this department. What do we do here?”
“Investigations.” she replies.
“Investigations into what, exactly?” I prompt.
She shrugs. “Miscellanous affairs. Unofficial things. Matters that the police are not equipped to handle for various reasons.”
“Do you have any examples?”
She smiles. “It'd be faster for you to experience it yourself. Perhaps you might want to get started today, Sen- no, Kurou? I'm authorized to handle one of these two cases, so we can work together on it.”
***
A. Rumour has it that women frequently go missing in dressing rooms while shopping on a certain street in Kyoto. Interestingly, a report has been made to the department recently about a local lawmaker vanishing in a dressing room while shopping in the upscale commercial district of Shijo. Said lawmaker is a prominent pro-augment advocate. Though her family has filed a missing persons report with the police, the higher-ups have requested that the department take a look into this affair; discreetly, of course.
B. Rumours abound of a hacker group that usurps the leadership of net communities by hacking into and masquerading as administrators and moderators. Though initial investigations have found no real leads thus far, the department has received an anonymous tip-off that there may be an attempt on 7ch, the third largest net community in the world. The head wants someone to monitor the community just in case anything happens.
***
“Urban legends related to the internet and augmentation?”
Erika nods.
I seem to understand what the department is all about now. I suppose this would be a good way to get myself re-acquainted with how the system works in Higashi; certainly, this department wasn't around back when I was still active, or the ISC wouldn't have had to capture me themselves.
